News

Monitoring Times to Cease Publication

“It’s time for us to retire,” begins the announcement that Monitoring Times magazine will cease publication at year’s end after 33 years. “We will publish through the December 2013 issue,” publisher Bob Grove, W8JHD, told ARRL. “The decision wasn’t an easy one, but economics played a greater part than personal. Judy and I are in excellent health, but the gradual drift downward of subscribers and advertisers made the decision clear.” Grove said that if a subscription runs beyond the end of the year, subscribers should e-mail or call the office at 800-438-8155 to arrange a refund. Monitoring Times, which promotes itself as “The World of Radio All in One Place,” covers — among other topics — shortwave and broadcast listening, scanning, military, maritime, and aviation monitoring, equipment reviews, clandestine stations, and public safety monitoring. In a separate statement Grove said, “We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of our fine staff of writers for the excellent work which has kept MT alive for all these years. While we know the discontinuation of MT, with our December issue, will be a disappointment to our readers and writers alike, we realize that a combination of a down-turned economy, as well as the ready availability of free listening and technical information on the Internet, has reduced sales and subscriptions throughout the market place. I would like to thank you personally for your knowledge, your dependability, and your professionalism in making MT the publication that is most often referred to in the radio monitoring hobby. It is a legacy that we have all inherited.” Grove has a new e-book out with stories from his past, Misadventures of an Only Child. Commented Dan, VR2HF, after the news item appeared on QRZ.com, “Sad to see them go. They were best in their class!”